Kiki's Spain Writings: ‘Holy sh*t. These wildfires here are no joke...’

My phone lights up. A message in the WhatsApp group for Dutch women living on the Costa Blanca. “Guys, does anyone know more about the fire between Javea and Alicante that has closed the highway?”

Never thought I would, but I -the hate smurf when it comes to group apps- have ended up in all sorts of online WhatsApp groups since I moved to Spain, because hey, it’s quite handy to know which hairdresser cuts well, where you can buy oliebollen for New Year, and now also: where the chaos breaks out when Spain is on fire again.

You should know: Spain regularly catches fire. The arrival of every summer brings the concern of large, all-consuming nature and forest fires. In 2022, which also went down in history as a ‘disaster year’, more than 254 thousand hectares (!) of nature were destroyed. Quite bizarre. Nature is and remains relentless.

A tiny spark from a carelessly tossed cigarette can grow into a Mega Big Problem due to the drought and wind in the summer. But now we’re not even talking about summer: it’s January and Altea Hills (a luxury and exclusive residential complex on the Costa Blanca) is ablaze. A place where I just went hiking with Sander last week.

The videos in the app group don’t lie. I see thick plumes of smoke smoldering along a number of large villas built along the hills. Quite bizarre, that fire can be so large that even the fire department (also known here as the ‘Brigada de bomberos’) is put in a difficult position. With eighteen fire units, two water trucks, and six firefighting helicopters, the counterattack on the fire is launched. Entire neighborhoods are evacuated.

“If anyone is flying to the Netherlands today, keep in mind that many roads are closed,” I read in the app. To which someone responds that they have been stuck in traffic for three hours, followed by: “We’re stuck in the middle and trying to turn around! Everything is burning! Stay away from the AP7!” The rest of the day, messages pour in from people who have all missed their flights.

On days like this, the contrast with the Netherlands (where it seems to have been raining non-stop for a month) feels üüüübergreat. And then I wonder: are you hearing anything about this on the news or is this just the local, Spanish news? It’s strange, such a contrast. I think the Spaniards would kill for a drop of rain, while in the Netherlands everyone is fed up with that horrible weather. And understandably so.

So, I’m just asking for a friend… Can I borrow a bit of rain over there?

Update: I eventually read via the Fire Alerts that everything is back under control at the moment. So far your Spanish correspondent Kiki with the latest news on your screen. Over.